Vehicle steeking geab



Dec. 4,1923. 1,476,068

J. FROELICH VEHI CLE STEERING GEAR Filed Nov. 2e, 1918 r- 2 sheets-sheet 1 .d #Y1/N704? J/f/y FHof/.l'c/f gpm-55 o7. C f

Dec. 4,1923. A 1,476,068

J. FROELICH VEHICLE STEERING GEAR Filed Nov. 26, 1918 2 Sheets-Sheetl 2I /N/E/YTO/ 5y M( MMA? fatented Dec. 4, 1923.l

JOHN raoELrcH, or sT. PAUL, MINNESOTA., assreflvoel To LESLIE s. HAQ'KNEY, or

. sT. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

vnHrcLE STEERING GEAR.

Application tiled November 26, 1918. Serial No. 264,155.

object of myinvention is to provide a more 1 gear' for the tractor to enable the operator to make short radius turns with the ti actor with only the use of a single steering element and with rapidity and ease'.

My invention may be applied to any tractors or trucks designed for any kind of service, but is of special advantage in connection with farm tractors for row crop planting, cultivating, plowing, discing and all similar farm work where easy control and short turbingradius of the tractor are need ed.

My invention consists in certain constructions and combinations, hereinafter declaims, and will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, of which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a tractor having i 2e my invention applied thereto,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure; 1, with the near side wheels of the tractor removed,

Figures 3 and 4 are detail views.

In the drawings, 4 represents the two drive wheels, 5 the steering` wheels and-6 the main frame of the tractor. The frame 6 may be of any preferred construction, but is preferably provided with the upwardly easily and completely controlled steering scribed and particularly pointed out in theaxle 41.

extending or goose neck portion 6 for thel tail'2 as anytype of *gearingV may be used) derives rotation from any source of power,

preferably. an internal combustion engine' (not shown) and transmits rotation tothe shafts 10. Brake drums 13 'are rigidly se-v cured to the shafts 1() and lbrake bands 14 encircle the drums 13 and are adapted to contract around the drums by the operation of brake levers 15 and links 16. Reach rods 17, provided with suitable vadjusting` turn buckles 18, connect the brake levers 15 with cam operated arms 19, pivoted to the frame pieces at 21. The arms 19 carry rollers 22 arranged to engage acam 23, pivoted to the frame 4 at 26 and having raised cam portions 24 and a central depression or'cut away portion 25 in which the rollers 22 normally rest. The cam 23 is preferably' integral with a segmental worm wheel 27 andy arm 28. A worm 29 is mounted in bearings 30 on the frame 4 and meshes with the seg-y mentalworm wheel 27 and is operated from the hand wheel 31 through connecting shafts 32 and 33, supported in bearing brackets 34 and 35 and provided with universal joint couplings 36. The arm 28 ofthe segmentaly worm wheel-27 and cam 23 is connected to a sliding rack bar 37 by a link 38. The rack bar is supported in flanged rollers 39 arranged upon lugs 40 projecting from the upon the axle 41. The shafts 44 are secured Angular racks 42,- in mesh witht to the steering knuckles 46 having the stub axles 47 upon which the steering wheels 5 are mounted.

The operation of the steering gear is as follows: When the rollers 22 of the arms 19 rest in the depression 25 of the cams 23,

,the raised cam portions 24 during normal driving and steering of the tractor. When, however, it is desired to turn the tractor loo Q navaeee at a more than ordinary sharp angle in a given direction, say at an angle of substantially 900, the steering hand wheel 31 is rotated to turn the wheels 5 in thatfdirection. At a 'certain angle of the wheels l5, limited for practical reasons, the cam portion 24 engages one of the rollers 22` and forces it outward, exerting pressure to contract the brake band 14 on the side corresponding to the direction in which the tractor is turning. `This action retards the corresponding drive -and accelerates the rotation' of the opposite wheel, which reduces the radius in which the tractor is turning.v If a moderately sharp turn is required,'pressure ma be applied to the arm 28 to partially set t e brake and retard the rotation of the shaft 10 by means of acam face 24, partially forcing the roller outward, but if a maximum short turn is to l.be made,`the hand wheel is operated to rotate the cam a suicient distance to force the raised portion 24 of thexcam against a roller 22, setting the brake to prevent rotation of the shaft 10 and turning the steering wheels to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. In this position and one of the drive wheels 4 bein held stationary through the driving sha t 10 and gears 8 and 9, lthe tractor will turn with the center of the stationary drive wheel as the center of the radius, as indicated in Figure 1. The angularity of the racks 42 and the corresponding eccentricity of the gear segments 43 is of such a .degree and form that the dii'erence in the turning radius and location of the two steering wheels relative to thecenter of the turn is exactly compensated for.

lVhile I have shown the steering gear' in connection with a two front wheel ysteering rig, it is obvious that it might as readily be applied to rear wheel steering apparatus or a single steering wheel, and

various other modifications .may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. p

I'claim as my invention:

l. ln a vehicle, comprising a frame, traction wheels, and brakes for said wheels; a pair of steering wheels, upright spindles connected with said wheels, gear segments mounted eccentrically on 'said spindles, means connecting one gear segment with the other and having a shifting engagement With each gear segment, and means.

for operating the gears through their connectintg means 'and applying the brake to one o the tractionvvheels.

2. In a vehicle, comprising a frame, traction wheels, and brakes for saidwheels; a steering wheel, an upright spindle connected with the steering Wheel, a segmental gear-mounted 'eccentric-ally on said spindle, a member having a vshifting .connection with the gear for turning the 'steering wheel, and means operatively connecting said gearoperating member with a brake of the traction wheels for simultaneously turning the steering wheel and applying the traction wheel brake. l

v 3. In a vehicle, comprising a frame, traction wheels, and brakesl for said wheels; a pair of steering wheels, upright spindles connectedvwith said wheels, segmental gears eccentrically mounted on said spindles, a reciprocating rack bar having its teeth meshing with the segmental gears, and means for moving the rack bar to actuate the' segmental gears to turn the steering Wheels.

4. In a vehicle, comprising a frame, traction wheels, and brakes for said wheels; a pair of steering wheels, means connecting one of said wheels with the other for simultaneously turning both steering wheels,

a camoperatively connected with said connecting means `for actuating the same, said cam having oppositely disposed enlargements with an intervening space, piv'oted levers having connectionswith the brakes of the traction wheels and having one end disposed in the path of movement of the enlargements of the cam and normally ly-l ing in the space between said enlargements, and means for operating said cam to trans mit power to the means connecting the pair of steering wheels and simultaneously apply one of the traction wheel brakes through one of said levers.

In witness whereof, l have hereunto set l-my hand this 22d day of November 1918.

JGHN FROELICH. 

